STOP PRESS - we have heard from First Great Western in the last few
days, as follows:
"We had hoped that we could organise an additional service through Wiltshire serving Melksham in particular. We looked very carefully at all the options, but whilst the plan received good support, and remains something we want to do, the cost of the new service is considerable. It will not be covered by the revenue that the service will generate, and as a commercial organisation we can only therefore proceed if we can find some joint funding to offset the costs. Despite our efforts this has to not proved possible to date, and we will not be able to offer any extra services in the next timetable due out in December.
"We will continue to discuss the plans with stakeholders and will keep looking for a partner to help finance the service, but this will not be possible before the December 2009 timetable (at the earliest)."
See who has signed up to pledge support,
more details of the validated service that has just had the plug pulled and some personal comment
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Euston - Heathrow - Chippenham - Weymouth
When the Olympics come to Great Britain in 2012, some of the events are going
to be quite distant from London; there will be heavy traffic, and the need for
good connections, to places as far away as Weymouth where the Sailing events will be hosted. Wiltshire, with its strong "horsey" connections, will be busy with equestrian competitors and their entourages in the run up to the games, and the whole country will be filled with tourists. A good public transport infrastructure will be needed in order to handle this traffic ... and what better time to start putting the services into place than now.
Link Train service
From London Euston (for Channel tunnel link / St. Pancras)
Hayes and Harlington (for Heathrow)
via Chippenham Melksham and Westbury (Wilts)
to Dorchester and Weymouth (for sailing events)
From London
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To London
Read UP
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| 07:30 d |
12:30 d |
17:30 d |
London Euston |
09:45 a |
15:45 a |
20:45 a |
| 07:36 d |
12:36 d |
17:36 d |
London Heathrow
(Connection) |
09:33 a |
15:33 a |
20:33 a |
| 07:50 |
12:50 |
17:50 |
Hayes and
Harlington |
09:25 |
15:25 |
20:25 |
| 08:15 |
13:15 |
18:15 |
Reading |
09:00 |
15:00 |
20:00 |
| 08:10 d |
13:10 d |
18:10 d |
Oxford
(Connection) |
09:00 a |
15:00 a |
20:00 a |
| 08:30 |
13:30 |
18:30 |
Didcot |
08:45 |
14:45 |
19:45 |
| 08:48 |
13:48 |
18:48 |
Swindon |
08:25 |
14:25 |
19:25 |
| 09:03 |
14:03 |
19:03 |
Chippenham |
08:10 |
14:10 |
19:10 |
| 09:15 |
14:15 |
19:15 |
Melksham |
08:00 |
14:00 |
19:00 |
| 09:25 |
14:25 |
19:25 |
Trowbridge |
07:50 |
13:50 |
18:50 |
| 09:30 |
14:30 |
19:30 |
Westbury |
07:45 |
13:45 |
18:45 |
| 09:55 |
14:55 |
19:55 |
Castle Cary |
07:20 |
13:20 |
18:20 |
| 10:07 |
15:07 |
20:07 |
Yeovil |
07:08 |
13:08 |
18:08 |
| 11:00 |
16:00 |
21:00 |
Dorchester |
06:15 |
12:15 |
17:15 |
| 11:15 a |
16:15 a |
21:15 a |
Weymouth |
06:00 d |
12:00 d |
17:00 d |
| Read DOWN |
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Read UP |
This table is an illustration of the service that COULD be provided and WOULD be used; indeed, it would provide a very useful and used service right now. No attempt has been made to "path" the trains in with existing services as they're up for review in any case in the Greater Western Franchise, but I HAVE carefully allowed a 45 minute turn-around at Weymouth to get best use of stock, and started the service from Euston where Mr Richard Branson's Virgin trains have a servicing facility for diesel trains used on long distance routes such as London to Holyhead.
Note how it also provides
- An all-rail link from the West to Heathrow (no bus, no Central London).
- Through services from Melksham and the Weymouth line to London.
- A service from Reading and points West to Euston - a much better connected
London arrival point than Paddington.
- Commuter services from West Wiltshire to Swindon, Reading and Oxford.
- Service to Euston for onward Eurostar connection at St Pancras.
- Service to Euston for onward East Coast connections at King's Cross.
- Direct service from Weymouth, Dorchester and Yeovil to Chippenham, Swindon,
Didcot and Reading.
- Excellent new connections from Trowbridge - home of companies such as
Virgin Mobile, and the seat of West Wilts district council and Wiltshire
County Council too.
The six daily journeys are provided with two train sets, each of which berths
alternate nights in Weymouth and London. No new track would need to be laid or facilities added. "Just" a couple of trains given an extended life - I'm not even suggesting new rolling stock ;-)
How many passengers does a train need to make it viable? Wessex trains, who currenly operate the line through Melksham, say that they run 500 trains every weekday and carry 25000 passengers. So their average loading is just 50 people per train, spread along the whole of its route.
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